Key Performance Indicators
Department of Natural Resources
Mission
Develop, conserve and maximize the use of Alaska's natural resources consistent with the public interest. Alaska Constitution Article 8; AS 03, AS 27, AS 38, AS 40, AS 41, AS 43.90, AS 14.30.740
Key Performance Indicators
| FY2023 Management Plan as of 05/30/2023 (in thousands) | |||||||||
| Department of Natural Resources Totals | Funding | Positions | |||||||
| UGF Funds | DGF Funds | Other Funds | Federal Funds | Total Funds | Full Time | Part Time | Non Perm | ||
| $71,795.6 | $42,677.6 | $39,278.2 | $38,473.3 | $192,224.7 | 727 | 230 | 56 | ||
| 2: |
Mitigate threat to the public from natural hazards by providing comprehensive fire protection services on state, private and municipal lands, and through identifying significant geologic hazards.
|
Funding | Positions | ||||||
|
UGF Funds |
DGF Funds |
Other Funds |
Federal Funds |
Total Funds |
Full Time |
Part Time |
Non Perm |
||
| $37,962.5 | $721.7 | $3,170.4 | $25,794.0 | $67,648.6 | 98 | 181 | 1 | ||
- Target: Publish reports or maps providing improved assessment of geologic hazards that could pose significant risks to public safety or infrastructure.
- Target: Contain more than 90% of wildland fires at less than 10 acres within Alaska"s heavily populated areas (Critical and Full Management Options) in accordance with the Alaska Interagency Wildland Fire Management Plan.
- Target: Provide wildland fire training to agency personnel, fire departments, and urban and rural communities.
- Target: Fill the firefighting needs for the average fire season with Alaskan firefighters.
- Target: Provide safe, cost effective wildland fire protection services to the State of Alaska.
- Target: Reduce the impact of wildfire smoke on the public by working to mitigate smoke concerns from fires near communities.
- Target: Minimize lost work days for firefighters.
| 3: |
Provide access to state lands for public and private use, settlement, and recreation.
|
Funding | Positions | ||||||
|
UGF Funds |
DGF Funds |
Other Funds |
Federal Funds |
Total Funds |
Full Time |
Part Time |
Non Perm |
||
| $5,247.7 | $19,707.6 | $5,495.6 | $2,314.8 | $32,765.7 | 193 | 20 | 36 | ||
- Target: Process a minimum of 80% of land use applications received.
- Target: Process a minimum of 90% of new water use applications received.
- Target: Provide accessible, clean, safe, and well-maintained park facilities for Alaska residents and visitors by reducing deferred maintenance needs in park units.
- Target: Collect fees necessary to reach authorized program receipt funds in the Parks Management and Access budget; annually evaluate and if necessary, raise fees in order to reach program receipts authorization.
| 4: |
Ensure sufficient data acquisition and assessment of land and resources to foster responsible resource and community development and public safety.
|
Funding | Positions | ||||||
|
UGF Funds |
DGF Funds |
Other Funds |
Federal Funds |
Total Funds |
Full Time |
Part Time |
Non Perm |
||
| $7,093.2 | $4,283.7 | $5,799.2 | $3,858.4 | $21,034.4 | 103 | 14 | 6 | ||
- Target: Publish airborne geophysical survey data for Alaska"s minerals-interest lands.
- Target: Publish reports on energy-related geology that assist the energy industry and state agencies in exploring for and managing energy resources on state-interest lands.
Performance Detail
| Priority 1: Foster responsible commercial development and use of state land and natural resources, consistent with the public interest, for long-term wealth and employment. |
Target #1: Provide Alaskan firms in Southern Southeast Alaska with the maximum volume of state timber sustainably available..
The Ketchikan area office sold three timber sales in Southern Southeast Alaska in FY22 for a total of 4,772 thousand board feet (MBF). Three more timber sales on state land are currently under development, and are scheduled to be offered before the end of Calendar Year 2022. Most of the timber sold in 2021 came from the 15,000 MBF Bay View Timber Sale, which encompassed both State Forest and Settlement lands. Coordinating with the Division of Mining, Land and Water and the Thorne Bay community about the subdivision that would be located in the timber sale area required significant staff time, resulting in lower sales in 2020. Through Good Neighbor Agreements with the US Forest Service, DOF is currently administering the contracts on 32,000 MBF of timber on two separate timber sales on USFS lands. Target Last Modified: 10/07/2022 |
Target #2: Offer 200 parcels of land at auction..
NOTE: In calendar year 2013, the annual auction was moved from June 2013 to July 2014, which accounts for the fact that there was no auction in 2013. In addition, hundreds of "lost parcels" were found and offered in FY2012 and a special discount auction was offered in FY2014, accounting for the high parcel numbers in FY2012 and FY2014. On a calendar year basis, the number of sales is consistent. However, due to an auction occurring a few days prior to the end of FY2020, the results show an increase to FY2020 and a decrease to FY2021. Current fiscal year is on track for normal sales. Target Last Modified: 12/13/2022 |
Target #3: Facilitate and improve regulatory and lease compliance monitoring of AS.38.35 pipelines..
The Pipeline Section (SPS) generally applies a systematic approach to lease compliance inspections based on lessee annual reports and proposed work plans. Each field inspection is conducted according to a project mission developed around lease stipulations and the lessee"s work plans and maintenance activities, or other lease related actions such as amendments, releases of interest, and renewals. Starting in FY 2019, the SPS implemented a Geospatial Information System (GIS) platform that was utilized for gathering field data and pipeline system data while conducting inspections, thus changing some of the metrics originally collected. Additionally, inspections, permit applications, and surveillances were minimized between FY20 and FY21 due to COVID-19 restrictions implemented by lessees and industry, and long-term vacancies in the SPS. Oversight and regulatory actions of pipelines shifted from predominantly fieldwork to remote coordination and digital information sharing. At that time, industry reprioritized routine maintenance of pipelines during COVID-19 restrictions to restrict work that was critical to the safety, environment and integrity of pipelines and deferred routine maintenance to later. During these years, the SPS saw fewer permit applications. In FY22, the SPS has observed activity, including field surveillances and permit applications, more consistent with pre-COVID-19 activities. This is reflected in the metrics of FY22. The metrics provided in this report capture the previous years prior to and during these inconsistencies. Target Last Modified: 10/04/2022 |
Target #4: Coordinate the review, permitting, and monitoring of natural and renewable resource development, transportation, and other specialized projects consistent with the missions of the department and participating state agencies..
The number and types of projects coordinated by OPMP annually indicates relative demand for the program; it also provides OPMP insight into industry and market trends in Alaska. For example, the 33 percent increase in coordinated mineral projects from FY2020 to FY2021 reflects increased mineral exploration activities driven in part by strong mineral prices. OPMP anticipates a modest upward trend in the number of coordinated mining projects in the near-term (3-5 years) due to positive economic trends within the industry and growing interest in critical and strategic minerals sourced domestically. OPMP"s principal challenge for providing permit coordination is maintaining sufficient organizational capacity (i.e. staffing, training, expertise, budget resources, etc.) to adjust to fluctuations in coordinated project workloads and deliver timely, coordinated project reviews. Such workload fluctuations are often driven by factors outside OPMP"s control (i.e. economic conditions, regulatory changes, commodity process, investment trends, etc.), but are an important metric used to gauge relative demand for large project coordination services. Related links: Target Last Modified: 10/28/2021 |
Target #5: Provide stable or increasing economic benefit from the use of trees and forests on state land by selling state timber to twenty or more Alaskan businesses..
Target Last Modified: 10/03/2022 |
Target #6: Increase awareness of Alaska Grown products and market options, and expand gross farm product sales..
The data provided comes from surveys conducted throughout the year by the USDA National Agricultural Statistics Services. Core services continue to demonstrate growth in monetary value of Alaska agricultural products sold. Target Last Modified: 10/17/2022 |
Target #7: Operate the Forest Resources and Practices Act program to achieve 100% implementation of Best Management Practices (BMPs)..
Target Last Modified: 10/05/2022 |
Target #8: Promote safer boating behaviors on Alaska"s waters..
Target Last Modified: 10/26/2021 |
| Priority 2: Mitigate threat to the public from natural hazards by providing comprehensive fire protection services on state, private and municipal lands, and through identifying significant geologic hazards. |
Target #1: Publish reports or maps providing improved assessment of geologic hazards that could pose significant risks to public safety or infrastructure..
The Engineering Geology Section published 22 hazards-related DGGS reports and datasets in FY2022, including three lidar datasets, eight ortho-images with accompanying photogrammetry-derived elevation datasets, two bathymetry datasets, four coastal hazards reports (including flood impact assessments for Napakiak, Kotlik, and Alakanuk), four tsunami inundation reports (including the communities of Akhiok, Chiniak, Old Harbor, Ouzinkie, Port Lions, Pasagshak, Cordova, and Seldovia) and a landslide inventory for parts of the Fairbanks North Star Borough. Engineering Geology section geoscientists authored or co-authored an additional four papers in peer-reviewed journals and other non-DGGS publications. The Volcanology Section, working in conjunction with federal U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) and University of Alaska Fairbanks partners, published a report on the petrology, stratigraphy, and geochemistry of Aniakchak`s Half Cone eruption; this report helps guide AVO`s interpretation of seismic events and gas measurements as they related to magma movement and eruption potential. We also published a report detailing major-element oxides, trace element, and glass compositional analyses from eruptions at Pavlof volcano. We also published a new report on electron microprobe data from Okmok volcano, concentrating on samples from the Okmok caldera-forming eruption. These reports increase our understanding of geologic products and eruptive processes at these highly active and hazardous volcanoes. Lastly, we also updated our Historically Active Volcanoes map of Alaska, to include new eruption dates and reflect our improved understanding of the Atka volcanic complex. Related links: Target Last Modified: 10/10/2022 |
Target #2: Contain more than 90% of wildland fires at less than 10 acres within Alaska"s heavily populated areas (Critical and Full Management Options) in accordance with the Alaska Interagency Wildland Fire Management Plan..
A key goal of the division is to contain 90% of wildland fires at less than 10 acres within Critical and Full management option areas. In 2022, 98% of fires in the Critical management option and 68% of fires within the Full management option were contained at less than 10 acres with a combined success rate of 91%. The lower-than-average success rate in the Full management option in 2022 can be attributed to several factors. A record-breaking lack of precipitation in May and June created extreme fire danger, and new lightning fires in June quickly overwhelmed firefighting capability, especially in areas outside of population centers. Beginning in the Southwest, a region that typically does not see numerous fire starts and large fire growth, the lightning activity then shifted north affecting a wide swath of the Interior which further taxed the State`s firefighting resource and required fire managers to prioritize fires that normally would be suppressed. Despite these challenges, the Division was able to contain almost all new starts within heavily populated areas, and the three fires in Critical that exceeded 10 acres only did so by 1-4 acres. An example of a key catch in "Critical` was the Elmore fire near Campbell Creek in Anchorage, which had extremely high potential for damage to private property and infrastructure due to its location. The Elmore fire grew to 13 acres but was aggressively attacked with aerial and ground resources and contained by the second shift. Target Last Modified: 10/24/2022 |
Target #3: Provide wildland fire training to agency personnel, fire departments, and urban and rural communities..
In 2022, classes were held in person across the state utilizing precautions developed over the past three years to avoid outbreaks of covid in the classroom, with almost 2,000 students completing necessary courses. Lessons learned during the pandemic have led to a blending of classes that allowed for the first basic firefighter class to be taught in February, boosting entry level students. A steady decline in returning fire fighters over the last seven years and further impacts by the pandemic continues to put DOF under the 10-year average for training provided for the third year in a row. The challenge for the division is to ensure that the training provided is meeting the needs of firefighters and managers on Alaska fires. This challenge is currently met with a training staff that plans, coordinates, and provides specific fire courses designed to develop Alaska"s firefighters for the future. These courses are provided to the inter-agency fire community which provides leverage for the Division to provide extensive opportunities to its employees and cooperators. Related links: Target Last Modified: 10/21/2022 |
Target #4: Fill the firefighting needs for the average fire season with Alaskan firefighters..
A successful program requires a trained, experienced Alaskan firefighting workforce combined with infrastructure, equipment, and logistical support. Within DOF Fire Management Areas, there has been a consistent turnover of fire managers, Type 3 Incident Commanders, Division Supervisors as well as dispatch and aviation personnel. Recruitment and retention of a qualified firefighting force within the DOF has been challenging due to the short season of employment combined with more competitive wages and benefits in the private and Federal sectors. Department Order 017 identifies that the Department of Natural Resources, Division of Forestry provide a strong initial attack, management, and support capability to assure maximum efficiency is achieved for an average fire year based on the historical fire occurrence. As the complexity and length of the fire season increases, the need for experienced personnel to manage these fires has become even more critical. Extensive knowledge and training are necessary to make timely decisions about strategy and tactics. This is more critical as the urban interface environment and the responsibilities to protect lives, homes and communities continues to grow. Related links: Target Last Modified: 12/13/2022 |
Target #5: Provide safe, cost effective wildland fire protection services to the State of Alaska..
Related links: Target Last Modified: 12/13/2022 |
Target #6: Reduce the impact of wildfire smoke on the public by working to mitigate smoke concerns from fires near communities..
DEC issued twenty-eight wildfire related air quality advisories throughout the 2022 fire season, beginning on June 6th, when smoke from the Lime Complex began to affect Southwest Alaska. On June 15th, western Alaska was included in the advisories due to smoke from the Hog Butte and Submarine Fires and by June 22nd, air quality over the Interior (especially in the Fairbanks bowl) was being affected by new fires in the area. In a rare occurrence with air quality being affected over a majority of the State, air quality advisories were issued in late June for the Interior, Southwest, Southcentral and western Alaska simultaneously. DOF coordinated with DEC and kept the public informed through various media outlets. Suppression efforts also reduced the probability of smoke effects to communities around Alaska. Related links: Target Last Modified: 12/13/2022 |
Target #7: Minimize lost work days for firefighters..
Mandatory training for all division personnel includes an annual Fireline Safety Refresher, CPR/1st Aid and defensive driving training, and complement of OSHA training related to general workplace safety. Initial certification and daily tailgate safety sessions include proper use of firefighting equipment such as chainsaws, engines, forklifts, dozers, and safety analysis of firefighting facilities to mitigate hazards. Online safety training (SafetyHub) saved instructor travel expenses, and efficiently delivered training to DOF employees across the State when classroom training was not possible due to COVID-19. Daily safety messaging is conducted at all office locations for fire operations during morning briefings. The DOF Safety Office also has a Medical Programs Coordinator, who engages staff for medical related safety training, messaging, and guidance. This position coordinates the Alaska Fire Medic program, which helps to provide critical medical care on remote fires. Other support includes CDC updates and policy information sharing, Covid testing, providing personal protective equipment, and training. This position also maintains and coordinates the Divisions Hepatitis B and infection control plan. Target Last Modified: 10/21/2022 |
| Priority 3: Provide access to state lands for public and private use, settlement, and recreation. |
Target #1: Process a minimum of 80% of land use applications received..
Not included in the above numbers are Interagency Land Management Assignments, Cooperative Resource Management Agreements, and trespass cases. The division supports other state agencies through the issuance of Interagency Land Management Assignments, and issues Cooperative Resource Management Agreements with municipalities or other entities. These actions require time and attention as well as adjudicatory work. Each new authorization issued creates a new workload of contract administration, assignments, amendments, name changes, sub-lease agreements, billing, monitoring, compliance and close out, all of which is not reflected in these numbers. The division expects there to be more applications in future years as the state strives to bring in additional entitlement acres with high development potential each year, as federally approved infrastructure initiatives generate new projects, and the division moves to improve tracking and resolution of previously unauthorized uses which could be legitimately permitted. The division"s stewardship responsibilities that do not involve issuing an authorization are constant. The substantial amount of time staff spends on these issues takes them away from their duties to process authorizations. Despite necessary diversion of stewardship responsibilities, policy development, increasing recruitment and retention challenges in FY2022, the number of land use authorizations issued by DMLW staff continued to exceed new applications received. In general, many types of businesses or support corporations received authorizations that allowed use of state land for financial gain, and for diversification of the state economy. Authorizations in this component benefit utility, oil and gas, mining, commercial recreation, tourism, fishing, construction, and other development industries by authorizing legal access to the state owned and managed land, water, and resources. If the division is not able to take the necessary time to produce defensible, responsible decisions which will successfully withstand appeals or litigation, these same industries are adversely affected. Often businesses cannot plan their operations, get investment capital, insurance, or loans if they do not have the required land authorizations. A few of the major projects worked by the Regional Land Offices in FY2022 include, the on-going Ambler Road Project proposed by the Alaska Industrial Development and Export Authority, the public access project for the Donlin Gold Mine, Grant Lake Hydroelectric Project proposed by Kenai Hydro LLC, and the Montana Creek Cooperative Resource Management Agreement. Received Issued Leases 47 106 Material Sale 47 30 Permits 165 399 Easements 45 46 Target Last Modified: 10/12/2022 |
Target #2: Process a minimum of 90% of new water use applications received..
Target Last Modified: 10/12/2022 |
Target #3: Provide accessible, clean, safe, and well-maintained park facilities for Alaska residents and visitors by reducing deferred maintenance needs in park units..
Target Last Modified: 10/07/2022 |
Target #4: Collect fees necessary to reach authorized program receipt funds in the Parks Management and Access budget; annually evaluate and if necessary, raise fees in order to reach program receipts authorization..
Any new investments in the division"s infrastructure will be reviewed with the idea of sustainability and revenue producing potential in mind. Investments in public use cabins, electronic fee stations, and similar infrastructure have revenue producing potential and fill a demonstrated public demand. Target Last Modified: 10/07/2022 |
| Priority 4: Ensure sufficient data acquisition and assessment of land and resources to foster responsible resource and community development and public safety. |
Target #1: Publish airborne geophysical survey data for Alaska"s minerals-interest lands..
The federal Earth MRI critical-minerals program was funded by the U.S. Congress in FFY2019, and it is anticipated to be a 10-year project to acquire airborne geophysical surveys, geologic mapping, and LiDAR over areas of the nation with critical minerals potential. Additional funds were added through the federal IIJA bill in 2022, so federal funding will be at elevated levels through 2026. DGGS has been contracted by the USGS to manage the federal geophysical contracts covering large portions of Alaska"s mineral districts. In FY2022, DGGS released the 3,757-square-mile Eagle and 5,183-square-mile White Mountains magnetic + radiometric surveys, funded by the U.S. Bureau of Land Management and U.S. Geological Survey, respectively. DGGS also released the Icy Cape magnetic survey funded by the Alaska Mental Health Trust Land Office, covering 201 square miles of beach sands with the potential to host critical minerals. USGS Earth MRI funding from federal fiscal years 2019 and 2021 will support the collection of 7,984 square miles of fixed-wing magnetic and radiometric data in Central Yukon-Tanana Upland and 4,741 square miles in Western Yukon-Tanana Upland, respectively. Surveying started in May 2022 and these surveys are scheduled for publication in FY2023. Related links: Target Last Modified: 10/10/2022 |
Target #2: Publish reports on energy-related geology that assist the energy industry and state agencies in exploring for and managing energy resources on state-interest lands..
During FY2022, the Division of Geological & Geophysical Surveys published 10 reports providing new geologic data to assist oil and gas exploration throughout Alaska. A major theme of this work was improving the understanding of the Brookian sequence, particularly the highly prospective Nanushuk Formation, a unit that hosts several recent giant oil discoveries. This included two detailed measured sections from important reference localities, as well as a two-chapter volume that summarized the sedimentology and reservoir quality of key well cores. DGGS also published a valuable assessment of the composition and reservoir quality of more than 200 thin sections collected from Nanushuk outcrops across the central North Slope in the previous two decades. The Energy group also released a major synthesis of the geology northwestern Cook Inlet, including extensive new data constraining the age of important reservoirs. This is now the most detailed analysis of this part of the basin available in the public domain. Finally, DGGS worked with the Division of Oil and Gas to publish a database of 548 exploration drilling targets on the North Slope and offshore of arctic Alaska. This publication also included several comprehensive maps categorizing wells based on play type. This type of information is critical to attracting new entrants to Alaska who do not have access to proprietary data sets. A challenge faced during the latter half of FY22 was the loss of two members of the section, including the former section chief. Efforts are underway to rebuild section expertise and again maximize productivity. Related links: Target Last Modified: 10/10/2022 |
Last refreshed: 05/30/2023 05:00 pm